The Best New Dating Apps Of Early 2018

Presenting All The Best Dating Apps You Haven't Tried Yet

The AskMen
Acquire team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life.

It seems like just about every other week a new dating app pops up promising to help you find exactly what you're looking for based on some gimmick. They all claim that they're different from the rest, and have figured out a way to solve the problems that singles who are using the major players like Bumble and Tinder constantly complain about.

But, are they really any better than the others on the market?

In order to penetrate the crowded dating app space, many new apps focus on super niche interests and personality types, with hopes that honing in on certain commonalities will finally be the answer for men and women who haven't found "the one" on more general apps. But before you sign up for whatever's new in the app store, it's important to not only approach the right new dating app for you, but also know how to use these apps to your advantage in order to finally find what you're looking for.

Of course, this is easier said than done — and if you're already on multiple dating apps, chances are high that you're probably feeling pretty burnt out from the whole online dating scene right about now. To help get your head back in the game, we asked a few dating experts to give their best tips and advice for using new dating apps to find love. Here are the best new dating apps worth downloading, and how to use them to set you up for success in the world of online dating.

How to Use New Dating Apps to Find a Match

Think about how you felt the last time you did something new that broke you out of your routine. Whether it's taking a different commute to work or trying out a new lunch spot (away from your desk), adding anything new to the status quo that you typically operate in gives you a fresh perspective — even if not that much has changed. The same can be said for trying a new dating app. "New apps give a fresh outlook and hope for better matches," explains dating expert Kevin Murray. "They can frame people you've seen on other dating platforms in a better light. It sounds strange, but you might like the Match.com version of 'Jill' as opposed to the Tinder version of 'Jill.' People can adjust their self-presentation processes depending on how the dating app frames onboarding. Each dating app has their own social norms and for the most part people usually conform."

Not to mention, it also opens you up to new potential matches — and allows you to become a new "you" as well. "Advantages of new dating apps are that it gives you a new pool of people with a different set of goals and interests," says social media researcher Sarah-Rose Marcus. "Trying new dating apps gives you opportunities to present yourself in a different way and take advantage of the features provided."

While juggling more than one app can feel like a lot to handle, dating and relationship expert Sameera Sullivan explains that there are benefits to doing so. "Actively using a dating app or two can feel like a part-time job to many men and women, and is often met with unfulfilled expectations and disappointment," she says. "I would advise not spending too much time on one app — why put all your eggs in one basket? This is one advantage of trying a new app."

The Best New Dating Apps

Tastebuds

It's pretty surprising that no app had been invented to connect matches based on music preferences until Tastebuds recently came along. "Tastebuds seems to have found a new niche for music lovers seeking others with similar taste in music," says Erika Ettin, founder and CEO of A Little Nudge. "Rather than a left or right swipe, just like in Pandora or Spotify, you can 'like' a match or 'skip' to the next one. Then, you can even send songs to your matches." If there's nothing that makes you swoon harder than a chick making a stellar music recommendation, you'll want to put Tastebuds on your short list of new apps to try.

Problem: You have an awesome idea for a first date, but no one who wants to date you. The solution? A new dating app called First, which allows potential matches to decide if they want to date you based on your cool date idea. To get started, you'll need to create a profile, and plan the date down to the day and time that you want it to happen. Potential matches will then indicate their interest in joining you on said date. Once you accept their submission, the app confirms with both of you, and you both show up for the date. And you have to show up, because there's no messaging functionality on this app. Also, you get banned from the app after two user-reported no-shows. So be on time, don't stand your lady up, and enjoy not having to make small talk for weeks on end in order to land a date.

Just about every new dating app on the market promises to make dating fun again — but the new approach that Bracket is taking actually might deliver. Fill out a profile and indicate preferences like age, proximity and gender. Then, Bracket delivers 16 matches for you to "play head-to-head" in a bracket-style competition that leaves you with one lucky "winner" per day, who you'll then be able to message. Aside from the ego boost you'll get from winning out against 15 other dudes, the chances of you getting a message back from a woman who just beat out 15 other ladies in order to be connected to you is undoubtedly greater than if you'd reached her already overcrowded Tinder inbox.

You meet up with your buddy and his significant other, and she starts to pry into the current state of your dating life. Of course, she has no single friends to offer you up — but she does want to sit and play on all of your dating apps in order to help you out. If this scene sounds familiar, there's an app that's here to help. Wingman puts your fate in the hands of those friends who always think that you must be doing something wrong on those dating apps, and lets them try and prove you wrong. That well-meaning friend can simply log onto the app, create a profile on your behalf and, once you've approved it, they'll be able to reach out to potential matches. It also takes away the sting of rejection, since you'll remain blissfully unaware while all of this is going on. Once you get a potential match, the app lets you take it from there. Worst case scenario, the friends in your life see that the struggle is real and quit bugging you. Best case? They earn bragging rights from setting you up with "the one" for as long as the two of you date for.

If you've never wondered how you'd size up in a game of F*ck, Marry, Kill in a pool of single people who are also looking for love, well, we don't blame you. That's kind of weird. But also kind of genius and extremely fun — which the FMK app has captured pretty perfectly. The app works exactly as you're imagining it does: you're presented with three profiles, and you choose which person you'd f*ck, marry and kill (disclaimer: the app does not encourage nor intend you to actually murder this person. This is all in good theoretical fun, just like the party game). If you and a potential match give the same answer, you're able to chat with said match. You can also see how kill-able, marry-able or f*ck-able you are based on the percentage of user responses.

For all of the ugly parts of Tinder, there is one huge advantage to using this app that we can't ignore: everyone is on it. A cool 50 million people, give or take. But what if you could eliminate the worst parts of Tinder, like swiping through an endless sea of people who don't like you back? In fact, what if you could see the queue of matches who have already swiped right on you? Meaning, there's no guessing game and the work is done for you. For $15 a month (or $30 for one month) you get this feature with Tinder Gold — plus unlimited likes, a rewind feature that lets you go back to users you accidentally swiped left on, and five super likes per day. Like slipping the hostess a tip to get you a better seat at a restaurant, Tinder Gold gives online daters a better vantage point.

This dating app has been popular across the pond for a few years, and recently made its way to the U.S. "It’s as if you crossed Tinder and a Matchmaking service," explains dating coach and matchmaker Laura Bilotta. "The premise is simple: you get a handpicked match for you once a day, you can decide if you like your match or not, and then you chat from there." Basically, quality over quantity. Essentially, the one match per day idea is a throwback to the days where you'd feel one person out at a time and decide whether or not you want to date them. Before we were able to swipe right and left and judge people in just a few seconds. You know, the good old days. "This app is beneficial for finding love because it gives people the opportunity to follow more of a natural dating cycle rather than the hyper-dating that Tinder and Bumble offer," says Bilotta. "You’re able to take your time looking at your match and chatting with them before the next person comes along."

AskMen may receive a portion of revenue if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.
The links are independently placed by our Commerce team and do not influence editorial content. To find out more, please read our complete
terms of use.